Getting around Thailand, honestly
Thailand has one of the best domestic transport networks in Southeast Asia and it is cheap by any standard. The difficulty is not availability, it is that the fastest option and the best option are rarely the same one, and the price you are quoted at a tourist desk is rarely the price locals pay.
Flying
Domestic flights are the great time-saver: Bangkok to Chiang Mai or Phuket is roughly an hour and often costs less than the overnight bus once you count the bag. Book direct with the airline rather than through a hotel desk. Remember Bangkok has two airports — Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang — and they are an hour apart in traffic, so never book a tight self-transfer between them.
Trains
Slow, atmospheric and much better than their reputation. The overnight sleeper to Chiang Mai is the one worth planning around: book a lower berth, which is wider and has a window. Second-class air-conditioned sleeper is the sweet spot on price and comfort. Trains sell out for festival dates and long weekends.
Buses and minivans
They go everywhere, they leave constantly, and they are the cheapest way to move. Government buses from official terminals are safer and more comfortable than the tourist minivans sold on Khao San Road. Minivans are quick and cramped; on mountain roads they are not for the queasy.
Ferries
Every island has one, and in rough season some do not run. Lomprayah and Raja are the established operators on the Gulf routes. Buy the combined bus-and-boat ticket for island trips — it is barely more expensive and it means someone else owns the connection if the bus is late. Our Bangkok to Koh Samui guide prices every combination of flight, train, bus and boat.
In town
Bangkok has the BTS Skytrain, the MRT metro and the river boats, all of which beat a taxi at rush hour. Grab and Bolt work in every major city and remove the fare argument entirely. Tuk-tuks are a negotiated price and almost always more than a metered taxi — fun once, rarely the sensible choice. Songthaews (converted pickups) run fixed routes in most provincial towns for a few baht.
Renting a scooter
Cheap, liberating and the single most common way visitors get hurt here. You need an International Driving Permit with a motorcycle endorsement for it to be legal and for your travel insurance to pay out; without one, a claim after an accident will very likely be refused. Wear the helmet, check the brakes, and photograph the bike before you ride off.
Routes we have costed
- Bangkok to Chiang Mai — four ways, honestly ranked.
- Bangkok to Phuket — fly, bus, or the long way down.
- Bangkok to Koh Samui — fly, train, bus and ferry, every route costed.
- BKK vs DMK — Bangkok’s two airports, which carriers use which, and the cheapest way into town.
- Chiang Mai to Pai — minivan, private car or the scooter, the 762 curves costed.
- Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai — the Green Bus, a car with the White Temple stop, and why not the day tour.
- Bangkok to Krabi — fly, bus or the sleeper-train combo to the Andaman, honestly costed.
- Samui, Phangan and Koh Tao ferries — every boat between the Gulf islands: piers, fares, last departures.
- Surat Thani to the Gulf islands — the ferry and train-boat combos.
- Bangkok to Koh Samet — bus, van and ferry timings.
- Bangkok water taxis — the river as public transport.
Also useful: a Thai SIM or eSIM makes every one of these easier, because the booking apps, the maps and the ride-hailing all assume you are online.
Thailand transport: your questions, answered
What is the cheapest way to travel around Thailand?
Government buses and second-class trains, comfortably. But domestic flights are often within a few hundred baht of an overnight bus once you add a checked bag, and they save you a day — so cheapest and best value are frequently different answers.
Do I need an international driving permit in Thailand?
Yes, if you intend to drive or ride. Thai law requires it alongside your home licence, police do check, and — more importantly — most travel insurance will refuse a claim if you were riding without the correct licence category.
Are the overnight trains in Thailand safe and comfortable?
Yes on both counts. Second-class air-conditioned sleeper is clean, curtained and perfectly comfortable. Book a lower berth for the window and the extra width, and bring a layer because the air conditioning is enthusiastic.
Should I use Grab or a taxi in Bangkok?
Grab or Bolt, almost always. The price is fixed before you get in, which removes the single most common friction with metered taxis. At genuine rush hour the BTS or MRT beats both.
Book your Thailand transport
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